Hello, my name is Precious Nunez. I am a longtime lover of polymer clay and run my own business selling my various clay creations. I’m here to help and give you some simple tips & tricks when it comes to Polymer Clay. In this blog post, I share with you on how you can make your pieces durable and last.
As much time as you spend creating a piece whether it may be small charms, beads, jewelry, or large pieces; you’d like it to last, look it’s best, and be as durable as possible, right? If you incorporate Polymer clay into your business, strength, looks, and wearability should be essential when sold to customers for a variety of uses. So here are a few simple tips and tricks to make sure your piece is durable and can last as long as possible!
My first tip for you is to make sure your clay is all the way mixed through, especially if you are using several different clays and textures (ex. Sculpey Soufflé and Premo). Since these textures are different, you want to make sure the clay has been fully conditioned, and no swirls/streaks are left behind.
My second tip pertains to clay charms, sculptures, and detailed pieces. If you are attaching small details or limbs to a piece, you’d want to use a small amount of Translucent Liquid Sculpey (TLS) to secure the attachment to the base piece. TLS helps bond the detailed attachment to your piece during the baking process, this acts as a translucent glue and helps make your piece more secure. If you don’t have TLS, you can always blend your pieces with various clay tools, my favorite is a needle tool to get into small crevices and it provides a seamless blend!
*PRO TIP* Use a small toothpick or needle tool to apply a small amount of TLS on your attachment to achieve a nice and clean look without excess product.
My third tip pertains to the aesthetics of your piece. To make your piece smooth, get rid of fingerprints and dust particles; all you need is a few household items such as rubbing alcohol, cotton swabs, and Sculpey Tools Sandpaper. Before baking, lightly dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and gently rub away fingerprints and dust particles. Be cautious you aren’t soaking your unbaked piece in the rubbing alcohol as it may soften your clay and be more prone to fingerprints. If you’d like to clean the piece after baking, you may do so and it’s easier to avoid nicking your unbaked piece. Simply follow the same steps. If there are uneven/rough surfaces on your piece or deep dust particles, lightly sand your baked piece with sandpaper.
When it comes to baking, it’s important to bake your pieces at the appropriate time they need. When it comes to bigger sculptures it’s essential to bake for a longer period than you would for small charms, beads, and jewelry. Baking your pieces all the way through ensures durability in use over long periods of time and so pieces don’t snap easily.
My final tip is glazing. Throughout my clay journey, it’s always been essential that I glaze my pieces. I absolutely love the way a freshly glazed charm looks, it’s the perfect way to show off my creations. It reminds me of candy when the various colors have that beautiful gloss finish. Not only does it give it a good look, but it also adds durability to my charms so my customers can include these pieces in their everyday life while keeping all the details attached.
I hope you were able to take some tips and tricks to incorporate in your pieces whether you’re a business owner, clay crafter/sculptor, or creating just for fun! We would love to see what you make next, use #HowDoYouSculpey on Social media platforms the next time you craft!
